and the as stay alive thanks in part to an incredible catch by the man with the best name in sports. the question is, did coco crisp say oakland's season? it's way too early for this. good morning. i'm willie geist. and this is the show that considered going with coco crisp for its son, but landed instead on count chocula. it's a family name. glass you're up with us this morning. e-mail me at way too early at msnbc.com. you can tweet me at at willie geist. or do what tag romney does and text awake followed by your response to 622639. the next 30 minutes will be your cram session for this wednesday, october the 10th, a lot going on including protests in the streets of athens, greece to welcome german chancellor angela

merkel. we'll tell you what's going on romney. trust me on this one. but first let's get to the news live at 5:30 a.m. and we begin with the fight for the battleground states. less than four weeks now until election day. in ohio, 18 electoral votes are up for grabs, the state that could well determine the president. a new cnn poll conducted after the debate of last week shows the president leading by four points. mitt romney has gained four points there in just over a week. in new hampshire meanwhile, a new poll shows in the last nine days, romney has whittled the president's 15 point lead down to six points. and a new real clear politics average of all the national polls has romney edging ahead of president obama for the first time this year. south of cleveland last night, meanwhile, an estimated 12,000 people showed up in the cold to

support romney who was introduced by fired up governor of new jersey, mr. chris christie. >> a few weeks ago, i watched the democratic national convention, i did it as a sacrifice and service to my country. i sat on my couch in my living room, i made my 12-year-old son patrick bring me a big bottle of water because when i hear that much b.s., i get lightheaded. i want to help the president i'm sure because he loves me. i'm sure he's out there listening. mr. president, you have lived inside 1600 pennsylvania avenue for four years. if you can't change washington from inside the white house, then let's get you the plane ticket back to chicago you've earned. >> romney who is holding three more campaign events today in ohio shows you you how much they think they need to do in that state, then supplied the crowd with a neutrallying cry. >> i've been watching some of the president obama's rallies. and they chant four more year,

four more years. and today there are 28 days before the election. i think the right chant ought to be for them four more weeks, four more weeks. and with an audience like this -- >> four more weeks, four more weeks, four more weeks, four more weeks! >> meanwhile the hill is reporting that president obama will attend his last fund-raiser of the 2012 cam been tomorrow night in miami before kick off his re-election effort into high gear coming in the home stretch here. sources say the president will focus strictly on swing state rallies and preparing for the next two debates. on the same day his campaign released a new attack ad featuring, yes, big bird. the president again hit on his opponent's plan to cut taxpayer funding to pbs. mitt romney responded by suggesting the president is taking his eye off the ball. >> these are tough times. with real serious issues.

so you have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving big bird. >> former president bill clinton was stumping for the president in las vegas last night. offering his thoughts on last week's presidential debate. >> i had a different reaction to that first debate than a lot of people did. i mean, i thought -- wow. here's old moderate mitt. where you been, boy? miss you all these last two years. the problem with this deal is the deal was made by severe conservative mitt. that was how he described himself for two whole years. until three or four days before the debate, they all got together and said, hey, man, this ship is sinking faster than the titanic. so just show up with a sunny face and say i didn't say all that stuff i said the last two

years. are you going to believe me or your lying eyes here some come on. . what are you doing? and if i've been the president, i might have said, well, i hate to get in the way of this, i miss you. >> see what that is? my friends, that's a man who is in vegas. i know that feeling very well. next up on the election calendar, the vice presidential debate tomorrow at center college in danville, kentucky. a new picture is developing from the state department about what really happened when gunmen stormed the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya and killed four americans including the u.s. ambassador there. the obama administration initially claimed the attacks stemmed from a protest over an anti-islam film produced in the united states. and posted to youtube. but officials at the state department say that was never their conclusion adding there was no protest at all. in fact, diplomats first realized they were under at being a when they heard exploegs and saw armed men entering their

compound. a quick response team was dispatched with 60 libyan militia men to try to stop the assault, but they were too late. by then the attackers already had set fire to the building where ambassador chris stevens was hiding. that account directly conflicts the description of the attack provided on "meet the press" by u.s. ambassador to the u.n. susan rice. this was on september 16th, five days after the attack. >> putting together the best information that we have available to us today, our current assessment is that what happened in benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in cairo. almost a copy cat of the demonstrations against our facility in cairo which were prompted of course by the video. what we think then transpired in benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. >> that from the obama administration again on september the 16th.

yesterday, october the 9th, the state department says there were no protests outside the u.s. consulate in benghazi. today congress is set on to hold a hearing on the attack. it's expected to focus on potential security lapses at the compound and whether or not the administration initially down played the link to terrorism. in pennsylvania, jerry sandusky, the former defensive coordinator for the penn state football team, will now i don't understand go psychological screening to determine where he likely will serve the rest of his life in prison. a judge yesterday handed down a 30 to 60 year prison sentence to the man convicted of sexually abusing young boys for more than 15 years. nbc's john yang has more. >> reporter: jerry sandusky said nothing as he arrived in a red prisoner's jump suit over a bulletproof vest looking thinner after 112 days in jail. inside he sat impassively as three of his victims told the court of the psychological effects of sandusky's abuse when they were young boys.

his voice choking with emotion, the man nope in court documents as victim six spoke of his sense of betrayal, the very kids you claimed to help were the very ones you victimized. victim five asked the judge to consider the tears, pain and private anguish i and others have suffered. sandusky who did not testify at his trial delivered a rambling 15 applicant statement about what he called the worst loss of my life. he repeated points he made in a defiant three minute statement broadcast on penn state's campus radio station. >> they could take away my life, they could make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart. >> reporter: in court, he it did not repeat his contention that he's the victim of a conspiracy by his beingaccusers. he seemed close to tears when he spoke of being separated from his family. imposing sentence, the judge calmly told sandusky you abused the trust of those that trusted you. the sentence of the court is for an aggregated term of no less than 30 years and no more than

60 years. but for the 68-year-old sandusky, 0 years is tantamount to a life sentence. >> john yang reporting for us.4t to a life sentence. >> john yang reporting for us. sandusky plans to appeal. anxious wimerkel's visit to drew hoards of protesters. thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets battling riot police. let's get more on the story as we take an early look at the markets with geoff cutmore live for us in london. >> good morning. well, at time this is was a very ugly protest with greeks dressing themselves up in fwin man un fors and waving swastikas. about 6,000 police officers on hand to try to keep control of this protest. this is the first time the german chance lochancellor has

been in greece. and she seemed very much as a linchpin as to whether greece continues to get financial support from the eu and the imf. they're waiting on another 31.5 billion euros at this point. so that's the issue at hand here. the greeks feel that the germans have been responsible for all the austerity that's been imposed on them as they wait to get this latest amount of money. merkel for her part was gracious, she said i am not here as a lecturer or teacher. she said we think you are doing the right things to bring this economy around. but i have to say, it was a pretty ugly demonstration in ath thens. back to you. >> fascinating dynamic there. geoff, thanks so much. still ahead this morning, will rex ryan and the jets finally declare it tebow time? the mystifying quarterback strategy at the meadowlands explained. plus, baseball playoffs ahead in

sports. and -- >> it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine, could you be mine. >> jimmy fallon turns mitt romney in to mr. rogers. that clip and a check on weather when way too early comes right back. i've been coloring liz's hair for years.

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let's get a check on the weather. >> some of the worst weather in the country, murky in southern new england down to new york city. not a fun morning with the drizzle out there. also rain in areas of michigan moving now through areas say like from toledo to grand rapids and detroit. that will be heading across the great lakes and into areas of upstate new york an new england late today. so if you're in the adirondacks through vermont, you need the umbrella, also. this is all associated with a cold front that behind it, you'll have sunshine, but it's chilly this morning. winter gear for you and the kids. we're in the 20s for windchills right now all through the northern plains. even as far south as kansas city, we have windchills in the 30s and that's now sweeping through chicago and detroit and eventually tomorrow morning that chillier air will be with us in new england and the great lakes. but you can't win this time of year. either it will be cloudy and warmer or you'll be sunny and cool. and some of the showers around new york city spreading up over long island and into connecti t

connecticut. so the chance of showers. temperatures will be mild if you get any sunshine in the mid atlantic. otherwise further to the south, another beautiful day from texas to arizona all the way through areas of florida. but airport delays once again. some yesterday in new york city. i do expect more this afternoon. >> a little soft toss from barnicle. let's turn to sports. in oakland, it was win or go home for the as. pick it up in the second. watch this catch. prince fielder gets into one. looks like it's gone. but coco crisp pulls it back. that's in a one run game. check it out again. crisp had defensive miscues earlier in the series, but time this is beautifully. bottom of the fifth, seth smith connects. a bomb in center field. that extends the as leaded to 2-0. sixth inning, bret anderson on the mound. gets cabrera swinging to end the frame.

anderson just two hits, struck out six in six innings of work. seventh inning, prince fielder drills one in the gap. a diving catch. tigeyin tigers can't get anything going. a game ending double play, fielder was the tying run right there. as live to fight another day. they'll face another must win game tonight at home in oakland. in the national league, giants facing elimination on the road in cincinnati. both starting pitchers dealing in this one. homer bailey gets crawford swinging. sixth consecutive strikeout. he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. giants starter matching him pitch for pitch. the score is tied at one. both teams combining for just five hits through the first nine innings before they headed to extras. here in the tenth eniinning, sc

tied, two outs. a high hopper to scott roland. can't field it cleanly. the go-ahead run costs home to score. roland one of the best third baseman of his generation, a critical error, that allows the giants to at that time lead. bottom of the tenth, last chance for the reds. ground ball for the final out. giants extend their season with a 2-1 win. the first road team since the 2001 yankees to win a postseason game with fewer than four hits. barry zito to the mound tomorrow. today all eight teams in action. cardinals play the nats. that series tied at one game a piece. followed by the reds and giants at 4:00. at 7:30, the orioles taking on the yankees in the bronx. nightcap, as try to stave off elimination against the tigers

in oakland. nfl news. despite monday's lackluster performance by mark sanchez and the yets lo jets loss, rex ryan he's sticking with sanchez for the time being. asked yesterday if sanchez will remain the starter, ryan said, yeah, no question. when you look at it, he played pretty good. i thought he was accurate with the football. stats don't necessarily agree with you, coach. mark sanchez last in the league in completion percentage. second to last in quarterback rating. 26th in passing yards. he's also the first quarterback since stone astoney case to hav straight games with a completion percentage under 50%. the jets host the colts this sunday. coming up at the top of the hour on "morning joe," less than four weeks until election day. we have more post debate swing state polling to show you. plus a new version of events in

benghazi. and when we come back here, we'll huddle around the water cooler to watch jimmy fallon as mitt romney as mr. rogers. [ man ] ring ring... progresso this reduced sodium soup

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we told you the fight over big bird continued on the campaign trail yesterday. mitt romney responded to the

obama campaign's new sesame street ad by criticizing the president's focus on romney's b pbs comment. romney told jim lehrer he planned to cut the government subsi subsidy. the corporation for public broadcasting receives $445 million. that's less than 1/100 of the annual federal budget. an estimated 8 million americans watch sesame street every week. let's huddle up around the water cooler to watch jimmy fallon quietly maybe starting to put on the best mitt romney going. here he was last night. ♪ >> it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine.

won't you be, won't you be, please won't you be my neighbor. ♪ please won't you be my neighbor. of course there's a good chance you already are my neighbor since i own so many homes. thank you manuel. hello, neighbor. you see this? it's called a wallet. and inside of a wallet, well, that's where money goes. now, do you know what money is? i'm guessing no because you're watching public television. oh, there's somebody at the door. wonder who it could be. it's a good friend, mr. obama.

>> hello, mr. romney. >> hello, mr. obama. you remember mr. obama, right? last week at the debate, mr. obama taught us all a new word. choke. mr. obama is the president of the united states. a very important job. you have to make big decisions and you're in charge of a lot of people for four years. >> mr. romney, i think you made a mistake. i think you mean eight years. >> you see, kids, mr. obama just did something called using your imagination. >> hello, mr. romney. meow. >> now, kids, don't be alarmed. this puppet isn't real. look. this is bill. he's a union worker. you pay him with your tax dollars so that can he crouch down with a sock in his hand and make silly voices.

you disgust me. but before i go, remember, there's only one person in the world that's like you and that's you. people can like you exactly the way you are. but if they don't, then just pretend to be the sxabt opposite of what you are and then maybe they'll like you. >> but doesn't that undermine your original -- >> bill, you're fired. >> jimmy fallon. still ahead, why are you awake? your tweets, texts are next. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] pop in a whole new kind of clean. with tide pods. a powerful three-in-one detergent that cleans. brightens. and fights stains just one removes more stains than the 6 next leading pacs combined

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are you in good hands? >> nope, it's not awesome. i think everyone in this room can